Civil aircraft are traditionally manufactured in the form of metal constructions. In recent times, however, aircraft parts or parts to be joined such as fuselage shells, circumferential reinforcements, longitudinal reinforcements, crossbeams, wing and tail unit shells and the like are increasingly manufactured of fiber-reinforced plastics. These plastics contain, for example, carbon fibers, aramid fibers or glass fibers that are arranged in a plurality of layers and embedded in an epoxy resin matrix. However, epoxy resins are thermosetting plastics and therefore not fusible after curing such that the plastic-based parts are joined with joining methods known from metal constructions such as riveting or bonding. Due to rivet bores, however, riveting methods are associated with a structural weakening that can be intensified by torn fibers, delaminations and the like. In addition, riveting methods are very time-consuming due to the plurality of individual steps to be carried out manually such as aligning the parts to be joined relative to one another, producing the rivet bores, cleaning the rivet bores, tacking and setting the rivets. In addition, a bearing stress can be observed during the riveting process. Furthermore, quasi-isotropic properties of the parts to be joined are not utilized during the riveting process, but rather annihilated in certain areas. Bonding methods, in contrast, require a very high degree of cleanliness and elaborate cleaning measures for preparing the adherends. The adhesives also require a certain curing time such that bonding methods are also time-consuming. Furthermore, strict regulations for preventing the personnel from being subjected to health hazards needs to be observed in bonding methods. In addition, it is not possible to carry out a non-destructive examination of the bond. Riveting methods and known bonding methods also require a material overlap such that the finished component is not optimized with respect to its weight on the one hand and a steplike load flow is created on the other hand.
Alternatively to a thermosetting plastic matrix, the fibers may also be embedded in a thermoplastic matrix. Thermoplastics merely solidify and therefore can be plasticized or fused when a certain melting temperature is exceeded. Due to the extensive experience in the field of riveting and bonding methods, however, such parts to be joined are also routinely riveted or bonded in the construction of aircraft.